BRPI0617164B1 - removable data cartridges for information storage - Google Patents

Abstract

Removable data cartridges for information storage. A removable data cartridge for storing information is disclosed. The removable data cartridge includes an outer case and an electrical connector. the outer case has a front side with an opening therein, a rear side located opposite the front side, a left side, a left end between the left side and the front side, an upper side, an upper end between the upper side and the front side where the upper end is longer than the left end and a lower side. an outer case keying feature extends from the front toward the rear to prevent improper insertion of the removable data cartridge through a fixed opening in a drive. The electrical connector is accessible from outside the outer case in the opening on the front side.

Description

(54) Title: REMOVABLE DATA CARTRIDGE FOR INFORMATION STORAGE (51) Int.CI .: G11B 23/02 (30) Unionist Priority: 05/09/2006 US 11 / 470,199, 10/25/2005 US 29 / 241,308 , 10/28/2005 US 60 / 731,074 (73) Owner (s): PROSTOR SYSTEMS, INC.

(72) Inventor (s): MICHAEL H. ULRICH (85) National Phase Start Date: 07/04/2008

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“Removable Data Cartridges for Information Storage”)

Descriptive Report

This Order claims the benefit and is a non-provisional Order of the co-pending Provisional Order of serial number 60 / 731,074 filed on October 28, 2005. This Order also claims the benefit and is partly a continuation of the copying Design Order serial number 29 / 241,308 filed on October 25, 2005. Both of these orders are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

Background

This disclosure relates in general to disc cartridges and, but not by way of limitation, to disc cartridges encapsulating 15 of the disk or rotating media.

A removable data cartridge is a portable device that contains some type of electronically readable information. To access or modify the information, an operator inserts the cartridge into a special receptacle or drive, which interfaces with the cartridge.

Examples of data cartridges include floppy disks and tape cartridges that are physically interfaced with the drive. A tape cartridge can be inserted to fit a read / write head. The read / write head fits magnetically with the ribbon to read or write information.

Some tape cartridges contain an electronic memory chip separate from the tape medium that can be used to store some metadata. Often, these memory chips are coupled to an RFID system to enable wireless reading of RFID chip memory using electromagnetic energy. The data stored on the tape cartridge cannot be read from the RFID chip, but only the metadata related to the tape cartridge.

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Some magnetic tape cartridges have switching characteristics to prevent some types of improper insertion into a drive. For example, the straight section of Travan ™ tape cartridges is shaped like an uppercase letter T upside down. Attempts to insert these strips in such a way that the T shape is upside down are prevented by an opening in the drive bezel. Floppy disks have nothing to prevent improper insertion in such a way that doing so can damage the disk and / or drive.

summary

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a removable data cartridge for storing information. The removable data cartridge includes an outer case and an electrical connector. The outer case has a front side having an opening, a rear side located opposite the front side, a left side, a left end between the left side and the front side, an upper side, an upper end between the upper side and the front side where the top end is longer than the left end and a bottom side. A switching feature of the outer case extends from the front side towards the rear side to prevent improper insertion of the removable data cartridge through a fixed opening in a drive. The electrical connector is accessible from outside the outer case at the opening on the front side.

In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a removable data cartridge for storing information. The removable data cartridge includes an outer case and an electrical connector. The outer case includes a front side having an opening in it, a rear side located opposite the front side, a left side, a left end between the left side and the front side, an upper side, an upper end between the upper side and the front side where the top end is longer than the left end, a bottom side and a switching feature

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which extends from the front side towards the back side. The switching feature prevents improper insertion of the removable data cartridge through an opening in a drive. A straight section oriented parallel to the front side is not symmetrical over any line that extends from the upper side to the lower side. The electrical connector is accessible from outside the outer case at the opening on the front side.

In yet another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a removable data cartridge for storing information. The removable data cartridge includes an outer case and an electrical connector. The outer case includes a front side having an opening in it, a rear side located opposite the front side, a left side, a left end between the left side and the front side, an upper side, an upper end between the upper side and the front side where the top end is longer than the left end, a bottom side and a switching feature that extends from the front side to the back side. The switching feature prevents improper insertion of the removable data cartridge through an opening in a drive. A straight section oriented parallel to the front side is not a mirror image on any line that extends from the upper side to the lower side. The electrical connector is accessible from outside the outer case at the opening on the front side.

Additional areas of applicability of the present disclosure will be evident from the detailed description provided below. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating various modalities, are intended for illustration purposes only and are not intended to necessarily limit the scope of the disclosure.

Brief Description of Drawings

The present disclosure is described together with the Figures

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Figure 1 represents a top plan view of an embodiment of a removable data cartridge;

Figure 2 represents a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the removable data cartridge;

Figure 3 represents a front projection view of an embodiment of the removable data cartridge;

Figure 4 represents a rear projection view of an embodiment of the removable data cartridge;

Figure 5 represents a right view of an embodiment of the removable data cartridge;

Figure 6 represents a left view of an embodiment of the removable data cartridge;

Figure 7 represents a top sectional view of a modality of a drive with the removable data cartridge inserted;

Figure 8 represents a top sectional view of a drive modality with the removable data cartridge inserted; and Figure 9 represents a front projection view 20 of a drive modality.

In the attached Figures, components and / or similar characteristics may have the same reference label. In addition, several components of the same type can be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label which distinguishes between similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the Description Report, the description applies to any of the similar components that have the same first reference label, regardless of the second reference label.

Description of Specific Modalities

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In the following description, specific details are given to provide a complete understanding of the modalities. However, it will be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art that the modalities can be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits can be shown in block diagrams, in order not to obscure the modalities with unnecessary details. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures and techniques can be shown without unnecessary details, in order to avoid obscuring the modalities.

The present invention is embodied in a removable data cartridge with unique characteristics. The data cartridge is inserted through an opening in a drive bay where an electrical connector included with the data cartridge connects to a plug connector inside the drive bay. Proper insertion, alignment and removal of the data cartridge is facilitated by a switching feature. The switching feature blocks insertion into the drive bay except when the data cartridge is correctly aligned and oriented. This prevents damage to the data cartridge and the drive bay that can result from improper insertion, particularly when forced. Additional features of the data cartridge for various modalities could include: claws to facilitate human and / or mechanical manipulation, a locking mechanism to hold the data cartridge inside the drive bay, a write-protect feature and / or a visual status indicator.

Referring initially to Figure 1, an upper part of an embodiment of a removable data cartridge 100 is shown. This view represents the upper side 108 of the outer case 104. The upper side 108 is 116 in length and 112 in width. exemplary odality, length 116 is approximately 118.9mm (4.68 inches) and width 112 is approximately 88.4mm (3.4 inches); however, other modalities of cartu6 / 14

Data sheets can have different dimensions based on your intended applications.

Generally, the outer case 104 is large enough to include a hard disk. For example, a data cartridge modality 100 is designed to house a standard laptop hard drive that would be 6.35 cm (2.5 inches) that could have a length of at least 10 mm (3.94 inches) and width 112 of at least 70 mm (2.76 inches). A data cartridge for use with a 4.57 cm (1.8 inch) hard drive could be smaller and a data cartridge for a 8.89 cm (3.5 inch) hard drive could be larger. For example, a data cartridge designed to accommodate a 4.57 cm (1.8 inch) TRAVELSTAR ™ by Hitachi could have a length 116 of at least 70 mm (2.76 inches) and a width of 112 at least 60 mm (2.37 inches). Similarly, a data cartridge used with a 4.57 cm (1.8 inch) drive by Toshiba could have a length 116 of at least 79 mm (3.11 inches) and a width of 112 at least 54 mm (2.13 inches). The data cartridges intended for use with solid state memory devices could be of other sizes. For example, modalities used with flash memory chips could be significantly smaller than those designed for use with hard drives or could use the same form factor.

The upper side 108 of the outer case 104 includes a write-protect feature 124. In some embodiments, the write-protect feature 124 can be a slider that can be moved to one of two positions. Changing the position of the cursor selects or deselects the write-protect characteristic 124 accordingly. A drive bay can determine the position of the write-protect characteristic and consequently activate or deactivate writing functions without affecting

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the readability of the data cartridge. In other embodiments, the write-protect feature 124 may comprise alternative means of activation such as a flap, a push button or a rocker switch. Additional modes can use optical or electrical sensors to activate the write protection feature.

The data cartridge 100 may also include a rounded rear end 120. The rounded end 120, in combination with the left / right side hand grippers 128 and top / bottom hand grips 216, provide a visual indication of the proper orientation of the data cartridge for insertion into a drive bay. In this way, these elements can quickly guide a human operator to the correct orientation of the data cartridge in relation to the drive bay. In an exemplary embodiment, the rounded end follows the curvature of a circumference having a radius of 39.37 cm (15.5 inches), but a square end or other radii are possible. Additional protection against improper insertion is a switching feature 320 that works in conjunction with an opening in the drive bay to prevent insertion in any orientation other than front-side-first. Other modalities could use other switching feature (s) to prevent improper insertion.

A hard drive in data cartridge 100 can produce heat. The casing 104 can capture heat in a manner that causes the hard disk to overheat, in some embodiments. At the end between the top and back sides and the end between the bottom and back sides, this embodiment includes sixteen opening holes 122-1 that allow air to flow into or out of the outer case 104. Other arrangements could have more or less fewer opening holes. Also, opening holes could be placed in different locations of the outer case 104.

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Referring to Figure 2, a bottom view of a modality of a data cartridge 200 is shown. This view illustrates the loading characteristics of the data cartridge 200. Loading of the data cartridge in a drive bay can be performed by a human operator or a mechanical loader. A human operator holds the data cartridge by the hand grips 128 located on the right side 228 of the data cartridge 200 and on the left side 224 of the data cartridge 200 and inserts it through an opening in a drive bay until the data cartridge plug into a plug-in electrical connector. The opening could be in the bezel or behind the bezel. Some embodiments may include a “soft loading” mechanism that pulls data cartridge 200 into the drive bay by means of front and rear loading claws 208, 212 after an initial partial insertion by a human operator or loading arm . Other modalities may have the human operator to completely insert the data cartridge in the drive bay.

The machine loaders inside the drive can manipulate the data cartridge at multiple points. These points can correspond to different stages in a loading procedure. For example, a machine loader can initially position the data cartridge in front of an opening using front loading claws 208 and then switching to the rear loading claws 212 once insertion has started. Similarly, a machine loader can reverse this process to extract the data cartridge from the drive bay. A central loading claw 216 is included on the top and bottom sides 108, 204 of the data cartridge 200 to further facilitate insertion and removal operations. The autoloader can replace the human operator, regardless of whether the drive has a smooth loading mechanism.

With reference to Figure 3, a front view of

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a modality of a data cartridge 300. The front side 304 of the data cartridge is inserted through an opening in a drive bay. The opening is rigid and fixed in the format for this modality. As previously mentioned, the data cartridge includes a switching feature 320 that will adapt through the opening only when the data cartridge is correctly aligned and will block attempts to insert the data cartridge improperly (for example, inserting backwards, laterally or with the top side down). The switching feature 320 also prevents problems that result when an misaligned data cartridge is inserted part of the way into an opening (“partial wrong insertion”). Data cartridges 300 that have no switching characteristics or that have a symmetrical switching characteristic can be susceptible to partial partial insertion and damage the data cartridge or the drive bay. The present invention avoids this damage in one embodiment.

In an exemplary embodiment, switching feature 320 is a beveled surface arranged between the top and left side of the data cartridge 300. The beveled surface can form an angle of 12.4 ° with the top side of the data cartridge and can extend 2.03mm (0.08 inch) towards the underside of the data cartridge in one embodiment. Other modalities may include switching characteristics with different designs. For example, switching feature 320 could form a convex or concave surface and could extend the entire length of the left side or less than the full length of the left side. In cases where the switching feature extends only part of the length of the data cartridge 300, the opening may prevent insertion beyond the end of the switching feature such that the drive extends out of the drive bay to the remainder of the data cartridge length 300. In alternative modalities, the

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switching feature 320 could be positioned between the upper side 108 and the right side 228 of the data cartridge 300 or between the lower side 204 of the data cartridge and either the left side 224 or the right side 228. In each case, however, switching feature 320 is selected so that data cartridge 300 can be inserted through an opening in a drive bay only in the proper orientation during normal operation.

The front side 304 of the data cartridge includes an opening 328 in the cover 104 that allows access to an electrical connector 308.

The electrical connector 308 provides a physical interface to allow storage devices and technologies to be used with the data cartridge 300. In an exemplary embodiment, the electrical connector 308 is configured to support an industry standard hard disk protocol. In this way, electrical connector 308 may allow SCSI, SAS, SATA and / or PATA storage devices to be used within data cartridge 300. These may include hard drives and devices that emulate hard drives. For example, a 4.57 cm (1.8 inch), 6.35 cm (2.5 inch) or 8.89 cm (3.5 inch) hard drive could be mounted inside the data cartridge 300 and attached to the electrical connector. Similarly, data cartridge 300 could be adapted for use with flash memory chips. In other embodiments, the electrical connector 308 can use a USB, PCMCIA, wired and / or wireless connection.

Some embodiments could have the electrical connector behind a flap 25, in a recess in the case 104 or extending from the case 104. The electrical connector 308 is off center with respect to both the upper and lower sides 108, 204 and the right sides and left 228, 224 to provide additional switching in such a way that improper orientation will not allow proper fitting of electrical connector 308 with its counterpart in the drive bay.

A 316 captor is included on the front side 304 of the cartridge

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300 data carrier. Captor 316 operates in conjunction with a locking mechanism in the drive bay to hold data cartridge 300 firmly in place. After complete insertion in the drive bay, the locking mechanism fits into the captor 316 and remains attached until the data cartridge 300 is ejected, as better explained below. Some embodiments do not use a locking mechanism that fits the captor 316 in favor of any cartridge locking or an alternative locking mechanism.

A 324 light tube is also included on the front side

304 of the data cartridge 300. The light tube 324 engages a light source inside the drive bay after inserting the data cartridge 300 and provides a channel that extends from the front side 304 to a rear side of the data cartridge 300. In this way, the light that passes through the light tube 324 is visible from the rear side of the data cartridge 300 and can provide status information to a human operator, for example. Status information can include, for example, whether power is being supplied to the electrical conductor and whether a device mounted inside the data cartridge is currently in use. Other modalities could have no light tubes or multiple light tubes. The light tube 324 can be coupled with several light sources of different colors in the drive bay to transfer a variety of conditions.

With reference to Figure 4, a rear view of a modality of a data cartridge 400 is shown. The rear side

404 of the data cartridge 400 is accessible from outside the drive bay, in this mode. Some modes of the drive bay may allow insertion of the data cartridge completely through the opening in such a way that the data cartridge 400 is not accessible until after ejection. Opening holes 122 and light tube 324 are visible from the rear side 204 of the data cartridge. The light tube 324 extends the full length of the data cartridge

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400 in this embodiment in such a way that a sending end is visible when viewing the rear side 404 of the data cartridge 400. In this embodiment, the switching feature 320 extends the full length of the data cartridge 400 and is visible at from the rear side 404. In other embodiments, the switching feature 320 may or may not be visible from the rear side 404 of the data cartridge.

Referring to Figure 5, a right view of an embodiment of a data cartridge 500 is shown. The right side 228 illustrates the thickness 508 of the data cartridge 500. In an exemplary embodiment, the data cartridge has a thickness 508 of 22, 9 mm (0.920 inch). However, as previously discussed, the dimensions can change to adapt to particular applications of the data cartridge 500. Thus, for example, the thickness 508 of the data cartridge 500 can increase or decrease, depending on the type of the storage device mounted inside. data cartridge 500.

Referring to Figure 6, a left view of a modality of a data cartridge 600 is shown. The left side 224 of the data cartridge 600 is similar to the right side 228 and includes hand grips 128 and load grips 212. It is a seam is shown that extends the length of the data cartridge 600 and is visible in some other Figures. The seam marks where the two halves of the cover 104 are matched together during assembly for this modality.

Referring to Figure 7, a top sectional view 700 of a data cartridge 100 inserted in a drive bay 716 is shown. Data cartridge 100 is shown fully inserted in the drive bay 716 to allow electrical and mechanical connection of the data cartridge. data 100 with drive 712. The drive bay 716 is part of a drive 712, where the drive bay serves as a receptacle for the cartridge

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data view 100. This view shows the locking mechanism 708 connected with the sensor 316. The locking mechanism 708 is operated by a motorized cam 704, as the data cartridge 100 is inserted into the drive bay 716. After insertion complete, the captor 316 and the locking mechanism 708 operate together to hold the data cartridge 100 firmly in place. The write protection feature 324 is also shown.

Referring to Figure 8, a top sectional view 800 of a data cartridge 100 inserted in a drive bay is shown

716. In this view, the cam 704 has been moved to release the lock mechanism 708 and partially eject the data cartridge 100 in a single rotation of the cam 704. The rear side 404 of the data cartridge 100 is shown protruding more extensively through the opening of the drive bay 716. The electrical connection between drive 712 and drive bay 716 is disconnected after cam 704 has acted. Other modalities could use a piston to decouple data cartridge 100 or a mechanism coupled to the front loading claws and later 208, 212.

Referring to Figure 9, a front view of a drive modality 712 is shown. An opening 912 is formed in the bezel of drive 908 to mark the opening of drive bay 716. Opening 912 is large enough to accommodate the data cartridge 100, when inserted correctly, but prevents improper insertion. The drive bay may or may not have a door that is pushed out of the way when inserting a data cartridge 100. Drive 712 can be mounted on a vector of drives, a computer or an external enclosure. Other modalities could have status lights and / or a video on the 712 drive.

The above description of the disclosed modalities is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Several modifications to these modalities will be

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readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the generic principles defined herein can be applied to other modalities without departing from the spirit or scope of the revelation. Thus, it is not intended that the disclosure be limited to the modalities shown here, but it should be assigned the broadest scope consistent with the principles and innovative features described here.

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Claims (28)

1 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, characterized by comprising: a drive that stores information in a non-volatile style; an outer case, which includes: a front side having first and second openings therein, the second opening above the first and the second opening having at least one right end and forming a tongue for a latch mechanism, a rear side located opposite the front side, a left side, a left end between the left side and the front side, an upper side, an upper end between the upper side and the front side where the upper end is longer than the left end, a lower side and a switching feature that extends from the front side towards the rear side, where the switching feature prevents improper insertion of the removable data cartridge through a fixed opening in a drive; and an electrical connector accessible from outside the outer case in the opening on the front side, where the electrical connector is integral with the drive. 2 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 1, characterized in that a straight section oriented parallel to the front side has at least five ends. 3 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 1, characterized in that the character 870180049605, of 06/11/2018, p. 4/16 2/6 switching technology comprises a chamfered, convex or concave surface. 4 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 1, characterized in that the electrical connector provides an interface for use with a hard disk protocol. 5 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 4, characterized in that the hard disk protocol is compatible with SAS, PATA, SATA or SCSI. 6 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises a solid state memory device mounted inside the outer case and coupled to the electrical connector. 7 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 1, characterized in that the upper side has a length that is at least 70 mm and a width that is at least 60 mm and the lower side has a length that is at least 70 mm and a width that is at least 60 mm. 8 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 1, characterized in that the upper side has a length that is at least 100 mm and a width that is at least 70 mm and the lower side has a length that is at least 100 mm and a width that is at least 70 mm. 9 - Removable Data Cartridge For Information Storage, characterized in that the removable data cartridge comprises: a drive for storage; an outer case, which includes: a front side having an opening in it, a rear side located opposite the front side, a left side, Petition 870180049605, of 06/11/2018, p. 5/16 3/6 a left end between the left side and the front side, an upper side, an upper end between the upper side and the front side where the upper end is longer than the left end, a lower side and a feature switching system that extends from the front side towards the rear side, where: the switching feature prevents improper insertion of the removable data cartridge through an opening in a drive bay and a straight section parallel to the front is not symmetrical with respect to any line extending from the top to the bottom ; and an electrical connector accessible from the outside of the outer case in the opening on the front side, where the electrical connector is integral with the drive. 10 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 9, characterized in that a straight section oriented parallel to the front side has at least five ends. 11 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 9, characterized in that the switching feature comprises a beveled surface. 12 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 9, characterized in that the electrical connector provides an interface for use with a hard drive protocol. 13 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 12, characterized in that the hard disk protocol is SAS, PATA, SATA or SCSI. 14 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 9, characterized in that Petition 870180049605, of 06/11/2018, p. 6/16 4/6 further comprises a solid state memory device mounted inside the outer case and coupled to the electrical connector. 15 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 9, characterized in that the upper side has a length that is at least 70 mm and a width that is at least 60 mm and the lower side has a length that is at least 70 mm and a width that is at least 60 mm. 16 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 9, characterized in that the upper side has a length that is at least 100 mm and a width that is at least 70 mm and the lower side has a length that is at least 100 mm and a width that is at least 70 mm. 17 - Removable Data Cartridge For Information Storage, characterized in that the removable data cartridge comprises: an outer case, which includes: a front side having an opening in it, a rear side located opposite the front side, a left side, a left end between the left side and the front side, an upper side, an upper end between the upper side and the front side where the upper end is longer than the left end, a lower side and a switching feature that extends from the front side to the rear side, where: the switching feature prevents improper insertion of the removable data cartridge through an opening in a drive, and Petition 870180049605, of 06/11/2018, p. 7/16 5/6 a straight section oriented parallel to the front side is not a mirror image in relation to any line that extends from the upper side to the lower side; a storage drive, which is mounted inside the external case; and an electrical connector accessible from outside the outer case in the opening on the front side, where the electrical connector is integral with the drive. 18 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 17, characterized in that a straight section oriented parallel to the front side has at least five ends. 19 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 17, characterized in that the switching feature comprises a beveled surface. 20 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 17, characterized in that the electrical connector provides an interface for use with a hard drive protocol. 21 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 20, characterized in that the hard disk protocol is SAS, PATA, SATA or SCSI. 22 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 17, characterized in that the drive comprises a solid state memory device. 23 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 17, characterized in that the upper side has a length that is at least 70 mm and a width that is at least 60 mm and the lower side has a length that is at least 70 mm and a width that is at least 60 mm. 24 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage according to Claim 17, characterized in that the upper side has a length that is at least 100 mm and a width that is at least 70 mm and the lower side has a compriPetição 870180049605, of 06/11/2018, p. 8/16 6/6 ment that is at least 100 mm and a width that is at least 70 mm. 25 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 2, characterized in that the cross section oriented parallel to the front side is not a mirror image over any line extending from the upper side to the lower side. 26 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 2, characterized in that the cross section oriented parallel to the front side is not symmetrical in relation to any line that extends from the upper side to the lower side; and 27 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 1, characterized in that the drive is a hard drive. 28 - Removable Data Cartridge for Information Storage, according to Claim 1, characterized in that the removable data cartridge can pass completely through the fixed opening. Petition 870180049605, of 06/11/2018, p. 9/16 1/9